Untitled

Abstract

Local and regional food holds great potential to contribute to sustainable competitiveness in a destination. An analysis of the literature and promotional material of South African and key international destinations, however, indicate that the contribution of food to sustainable tourism and the marketing of destinations has received very little attention globally, as well as in South Africa. A framework and guidelines for developing and implementing food tourism could enable destination marketers and entrepreneurs to optimise the tourism potential of local and regional food. To this end a food tourism destination-marketing framework was conceptualised, which was based on the findings of a South African situation analysis and international trends and best practices. The South African situation analysis entailed an empirical investigation among regional and provincial destination marketing organisations to determine the current status and future potential and food tourism initiatives as a key component of destination marketing in South Africa. To support the food tourism destinationmarketing framework, two key tools were developed, namely TOURPAT (a tourism and culinary atlas linked to a geospatial database) and PAT (a product potential and attractiveness tool). The framework and tools were tested in a South African destination and provided the stakeholders with mechanisms to develop and implement food tourism. This paper outlines the key components and an evaluation of the framework and tools that have been developed. Guidelines and recommendations for the development, packaging and marketing of local and regional foods are postulated. Proposals for future research are also outlined.

What is the future of foreign food experiences?

“…They also make the point that culinary experiences often form an important part of the stories people tell on their return from their travels, and that they can be mundane but authentic day-to-day café experiences (Italian pizza or English fish and chips) just as much as special meals in Michelin star restaurants. All of them add to the traveller's "experience resume" (Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2014, p. 298) or build culinary cultural capital "back home", a point also made by others (Du Rand & Heath, 2006;Neill et al, 2016). The pervasiveness of social media has arguably increased the desire for unique culinary experiences.…”

“…The responses to this question ( Figure 3) betray a certain disappointment in the reality of their New Zealand food experiences (full of calories, overpriced, huge portions, not spicy enough, disappointing), but also many positives (healthy food, fresh seafood, a combination of cultures, delicious, healthy and without artificial colouring or chemicals). Du Rand and Heath (2006) stress the important role that local and regional foods can play in promoting a region. The answers to this question show differing levels of acceptance and openness to new food experiences which could be summarised as: "NZ is very multi-cultural so you can get anything you want" versus "It is fancy, overpriced and not spicy enough".…”

“…While it could be argued that this is a good thing, with wealth and opportunity being shared, it can also lead to a depressing homogeneity of high streets, airports, hotels and events (Augé, 1995;Fuller & Harley, 2004;Gordon, 2008;Sheller & Urry, 2006). Alternatively it could be that food is a reflection of the culture of a place, and an expression of a society and its people (Du Rand & Heath, 2006). Urry's (1999) tourist gaze argued that people travel to strange places to experience "difference", but then interpret (sometimes mistakenly) what they see through the lens of their own experiences, cultural background, and the dominant discourse of the day.…”

Visitor preferences in rural gastronomic tourism environment and the related design implications

“…Observing and interpreting the evolution of dining patterns and satisfaction of restaurant patrons during a pandemic is critical to the development of a sustainable culinary industry [ 33 ]. As the root of gastronomic tourism [ 34 ], and the core of the rural tourism structure [ 19 ], it is reasonable to assume that gastronomic tourism is the key to further enhance the competitiveness of rural tourism after the pandemic.…”

Effects of Rural Restaurants’ Outdoor Dining Environment Dimensions on Customers’ Satisfaction: A Consumer Perspective

“…Regarding gastronomic tourism, food, environment, and novelty value form the main prerequisites for attracting consumers in the promotion of co-development between urban and rural areas [23,24]. Indeed "the roots of gastronomy tourism lie in agriculture, culture, and tourism" [25], hence local agriculture can be used to restore regional characteristics and culture and strengthen local features and attractiveness.…”